A former Clemson standout appears to currently be in the driver’s seat for a starting gig on his NFL team.
Right now, former Tiger offensive lineman Tyler Shatley looks to be in line to start at center for the Jacksonville Jaguars next season following the news earlier this week that longtime Jags starting center Brandon Linder has decided to retire.
With Linder moving on after eight seasons in Jacksonville, it seems the Jags will likely go with Shatley to fill the starting center spot in 2022. Shatley, who has spent his entire NFL career (2014-21) with the Jaguars, re-signed with the team on a two-year deal this offseason.
Speaking with the media earlier this week, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson talked about his team’s plan at center following Linder’s retirement and discussed what the Jags have in Shatley.
“Tyler is a smart guy, and (he) can make all of the decisions and all the calls,” Pederson said, via Pro Football Network’s Mike Kaye. “And that’s where it starts. It takes a lot of pressure off your second-year quarterback to be able to handle all of that communication.”
As Kaye noted, though Pederson is high on Shatley, he will likely still have to compete for the starting job in training camp as the Jags have 12 pick in this year’s NFL Draft and one of them figures to be used on a center due to how important the position is to Pederson’s offense.
After originally signing with the franchise as an undrafted rookie on May 12, 2014, Shatley has started 18 games for the Jags over the past two seasons and made 33 starts in his NFL career.
Shatley began his Clemson career (2009-13) as a fullback for the Tigers, before moving to the defensive line in 2010 and the offensive line in the spring of 2012. He played in 51 games and made 27 starts during his career as a Tiger, including 25 starts on offense over his final two seasons when he registered 60 knockdowns over 1,776 snaps.
–Photo for this article courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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